Ford F-150 Unintended Gear Recall: NHTSA 26V375 Covers 10,742 Prior Repairs

Status, June 30 source check: source-cleared for a BadPD vehicle-safety recall ledger. The official campaign is NHTSA 26V375 / Ford 26S42. NHTSA says Ford is recalling 10,742 certain 2018 Ford F-150 vehicles because a prior safety recall remedy may not have installed the intended Powertrain Control Module software even though the repair was recorded as complete.

This is recall-record accountability reporting, not vehicle repair, shifting, driving, parking, resale, warranty, insurance, legal, reimbursement, or purchase advice. The official NHTSA, Ford, VIN, dealer, OASIS, and repair-order records control whether a specific truck is included, open, repaired, reimbursable, or closed.

What NHTSA And Ford Records Confirm

The campaign covers certain 2018 Ford F-150 trucks produced from February 13, 2017 through July 11, 2018. Ford’s Part 573 report lists 10,742 potentially involved vehicles and estimates the percentage with the defect at 100%. The affected population is tied to trucks that may not have received the correct remedy for Ford 17S35 / NHTSA 17V669.

The underlying older recall involved 2018 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.3L engine, 6-speed transmission, and column-mounted shift lever. In the current campaign, Ford says certain vehicles did not have the 17S35 / 17V669 remedy installed correctly but were recorded as successfully completed. Because the correct software may not be installed, the original hazard may still exist.

The defect description is specific. Ford says rapid movement of the transmission shifter from Park to Drive, described in the Part 573 as roughly 30 milliseconds, may cause loss of PRNDL gear indication in the instrument cluster and momentary, less-than-one-second engagement of Reverse before the truck achieves forward Drive function. Ford also says an operator could alternatively experience momentary Neutral operation rather than Reverse.

NHTSA’s June 15, 2026 acknowledgment letter states the consequence in public-facing terms: unintended gear selection may cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction, increasing the risk of crash or injury. Ford’s Part 573 states that the underlying safety risk from 17S35 / 17V669 still exists for the specified vehicles and quotes that older safety risk as unintended vehicle movement increasing accident or injury risk.

Why This Is A Prior-Repair Accountability Story

This is not just another software recall. It is a closed-repair accountability file. The public record says a prior recall repair may have been logged as complete without the intended software state being present on the vehicle. That distinction matters because a completed recall line can follow a truck through dealer service, trade-in, auction, fleet rotation, warranty review, insurance review, and private resale.

Ford says the affected vehicles may not have received the Powertrain Control Module software remedy for Ford Recall 17S35 / 17V669. The Part 573 explains that Ford can determine which software part numbers were installed in production and service, but it also says affected vehicles are not produced in VIN order. For a specific truck, Ford points owners and dealers to Ford’s toll-free line or the Ford Online Automotive Service Information System, known as OASIS.

The chronology explains how the issue moved from software-audit concern to field action. On November 26, 2024, an issue involving incomplete software recall remedies was brought to Ford’s Critical Concern Group after an audit request for software part numbers applied to vehicles remedied under a sample of field service actions. In December 2024, Ford formed a cross-functional team to audit software field service actions that used the FDRS service tool, with safety and compliance actions first.

Ford says it informed NHTSA on December 19, 2024 that there were vehicles with a mismatch between the software state on the service tool and the field service action software release. In March 2025, Ford says a broader audit of software-related field service actions dating back to 2017 identified discrepancies during the transition between the legacy IDS field service tool and FDRS. In November 2025, Ford approved a harvest program to assess remedies applied using the IDS tool during that transition period.

On April 16, 2026, Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group reviewed the matter and determined that several field service actions that had recall remedies implemented using IDS may have been closed without the remedy being installed. Ford then started a verification activity covering VINs confirmed to contain incorrect software and VINs with a closed field service action where the software version could not be confirmed because of record gaps. On June 2, 2026, Ford’s Field Review Committee approved a field action.

Cause, Warning, And Remedy

The involved component is the Powertrain Control Module software, with component part number pattern JL3A-14C204-*** listed in the Part 573 report. Ford says the PCM calibration may not properly process intended gear selection when the column-mounted shift lever is rapidly moved from Park to Drive. The report ties the vulnerability to a column shifter cable installed at one end of its full adjustment.

According to Ford’s description, rapid column-shift movement can overshoot the shift cable position into the Drive/Manual gear-selection transition zone. That can cause the PCM calibration to command a momentary inaccurate gear selection into either Neutral or Reverse based on the last PRNDL position recognized by the PCM. Ford lists no warning that can occur.

The remedy is a dealer software update. Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take the vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the PCM software updated. Ford says the software part numbers will then be validated using the Software Validation Form in the Professional Technician System before the field service action is closed. The NHTSA acknowledgment letter says dealers will update the PCM software free of charge.

Ford says the software service package will have the intended remedy for 17S35 / 17V669. That sentence is the center of the public-interest file: the new campaign exists because the public record says the old campaign’s intended remedy may not be present on vehicles that were treated as closed.

Schedule And Public Lookup Timing

Ford submitted the Part 573 report on June 9, 2026. NHTSA acknowledged the campaign on June 15, 2026. Dealer notification is planned for July 6 through July 8, 2026. Remedy owner notification letters are expected to begin July 6, 2026 and be completed by July 10, 2026. VINs are planned to be searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6, 2026.

The NHTSA API record accessed by BadPD on June 30, 2026 already lists 26V375000 on the public recall history for the 2018 Ford F-150 model page. That model-level record is useful for public confirmation, but it is not VIN proof. A specific truck still needs official VIN lookup or dealer/OASIS confirmation.

Ford’s Part 573 also says owners who paid for these repairs before notification may be eligible for reimbursement under Ford’s general reimbursement plan on file with NHTSA. That is a records flag, not a promise that any specific expense qualifies. Reimbursement status depends on the official plan, timing, receipts, campaign applicability, and Ford/NHTSA procedures.

Accident And Injury Status

The current source set should be quoted carefully. Ford’s chronology states: Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition. That is the confirmed statement in the official Part 573 report as of the June 9, 2026 submission.

That no-accident/no-injury statement is not the same thing as saying the condition is harmless. The official consequence still says unexpected vehicle movement may increase crash or injury risk. The clean record label is this: confirmed recall, confirmed safety-risk theory, confirmed no accident or injury reports known to Ford in the Part 573 chronology, and pending future records if NHTSA, Ford, dealers, courts, insurers, or vehicle owners later post contrary evidence.

BadPD is not adding unsupported incident claims to fill the file. No social media allegation, anonymous post, forum thread, or sales-listing claim is being treated as evidence of a crash, injury, or unrepaired VIN. Any future incident update would need a dated ODI file, court record, police report, repair order, claim record, Ford update, NHTSA communication, or other accountable source.

Records A Complete Recall File Should Show

A complete record for one truck should show the VIN-specific campaign status, whether 26V375 / 26S42 is open, the prior 17V669 / 17S35 completion history, the software level before service, the PCM software package installed during the new remedy, the Software Validation Form result, the dealer repair order, and the campaign closeout date. A generic service note saying the truck was checked is weaker than a campaign-specific repair order.

For fleets, lenders, auctions, and used-vehicle desks, this recall creates a practical records issue. A truck may carry an older recall completion line from 17V669 / 17S35 while still needing the new 26V375 / 26S42 verification and software remedy. That is why the current campaign number, prior campaign number, and software-validation proof need to stay attached to the file.

For public oversight, the next records to watch are final owner letters, dealer bulletins, software-validation procedures, quarterly completion reports, any amended population count, and any later NHTSA or Ford filing that changes the no-accident/no-injury status. Completion reporting will show whether this prior-repair audit actually reaches the affected trucks or becomes another paper closure.

Confirmed, Pending, Not Established

Confirmed by NHTSA/Ford records

• NHTSA 26V375 / Ford 26S42 is an official safety recall.
• The campaign covers 10,742 potentially affected 2018 Ford F-150 vehicles.
• The affected vehicle production range is February 13, 2017 through July 11, 2018.
• The current campaign is tied to prior Ford 17S35 / NHTSA 17V669 repairs that may not have installed correctly.
• The affected condition involves loss of PRNDL gear indication and possible momentary Reverse or Neutral operation when shifting rapidly from Park to Drive.
• NHTSA says unintended gear selection may cause unexpected movement, increasing crash or injury risk.
• Ford says no warning can occur.
• The remedy is a free dealer PCM software update with software part-number validation before campaign closure.
• Dealer notification is planned for July 6-8, 2026.
• Owner notification is planned for July 6-10, 2026.
• VINs are planned to be searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6, 2026.
• Ford’s Part 573 says Ford is not aware of any accident or injury reports related to this condition.

Pending records

• Final owner notification letter.
• Dealer bulletin and service procedure.
• Software Validation Form details and field instructions.
• Quarterly completion reports.
• Any amended affected-population count or corrected VIN-search timing.
• Any later accident, injury, claim, court, ODI, warranty, or police record tied to this condition.

Not established by this source set

• That every 2018 Ford F-150 is included.
• That any specific VIN is affected without official VIN or dealer/OASIS confirmation.
• That the prior repair was intentionally miscoded by a dealer, technician, or owner.
• That an accident or injury has occurred from this condition.
• That a truck has the corrected PCM software without campaign-specific validation.
• That reimbursement applies to any specific owner expense without official Ford/NHTSA confirmation.

BadPD Bottom Line

NHTSA 26V375 belongs in the BadPD public-safety accountability lane because it is a prior-repair recall. The official record says certain 2018 Ford F-150 trucks may have been marked as successfully repaired under 17V669 / 17S35 without the intended PCM software remedy being installed. The current remedy is a free PCM software update plus validation before closure. The records to watch are VIN status, dealer bulletin, software-validation proof, repair-order language, and completion reports.

BadPD will update this ledger if NHTSA or Ford posts final owner letters, dealer instructions, software-validation documents, completion reports, amended population data, or any later accident, injury, claim, ODI, court, or warranty record tied to Ford 26S42 / NHTSA 26V375.

Source Ledger

• NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report, campaign 26V375, submitted June 9, 2026
• NHTSA acknowledgment letter, campaign 26V375, June 15, 2026
• NHTSA API recall record, 2018 Ford F-150, accessed June 30, 2026

Featured image is symbolic editorial artwork created for BadPD. It is not NHTSA, Ford, dealer, owner, vehicle, transmission, crash, injury, repair, PCM, VIN, OASIS, service-tool, or software-validation photography and is not a depiction of any specific recalled truck.